


Excuses

by Engenda



Category: due South
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-24
Updated: 2011-06-24
Packaged: 2017-10-20 16:47:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/214905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Engenda/pseuds/Engenda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During the drive back to Ray’s apartment, Fraser sat leaning slightly toward Ray so he could watch him as he drove. The lights of oncoming vehicles illuminated his face. Grim and silent, Ray drove, hands gripping the wheel tightly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Excuses

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much to lynnmonster, sihayab and brooklinegirl for the beta. I worship you, I truly, truly do. I'm dipping my big toe into the shallow end of the due South slash-fic pool.
> 
> Blah, blah, not mine, making no money etc.
> 
> (my original notes from 2004!)

Ray looked at Fraser over the top of the GTO. The dim lighting in the parking area hid his expression.

“Get in.”

Fraser looked over, nodded once sharply.

During the drive back to Ray’s apartment, Fraser sat leaning slightly toward Ray so he could watch him as he drove. The lights of oncoming vehicles illuminated his face. Grim and silent, Ray drove, hands gripping the wheel tightly.

****

The young girl, maybe five or six was kneeling beside her mother shaking her shoulder. The smell of the rotten food in the dumpster beside her activated Fraser’s gag reflex. The woman gazing sightlessly at the sky, the blood oozing from her head wound pooling under her daughter’s knees. The fading bruise on the woman’s cheek, in stark contrast to the white of her skin. Dief leaving Fraser’s side to go to the young girl. Pawing through the blood to reach her side.

“Mommy. Mommy. Mommy”. The young girl’s cries grew shrill.

Fraser leaned down, searching for the pulse he knew to be non-existent. He winced. Her skin was still warm, lifelike. They had been so close. A few seconds, minutes earlier and she might still be alive.

He laid his hand on the girl’s shoulder. She flinched from his touch, looking at him through scared blue eyes, her blonde hair was matted.

Squatting down next to her, Fraser held out his hand, “I won’t hurt you. I’m a police officer.”

The young girl swiped at her nose with the back of her hand, smearing blood over the side of her face.

“Come with me. We can get some help.”

She nodded her head and put her small hand into Fraser’s. As he folded his hand over hers, Fraser was honored by her trust.

“Your name’s Heather, isn’t it?” Another nod. “We’ve been looking for you.” Fraser led her away from her mother’s body, to the mouth of the alley.

“Fraser!”

“Over here, Ray.”

At Ray’s yell, Heather clenched her hand in Fraser’s and let out a panicked whimper. He bent, lifting her in his arms. Her small knees hugged his waist.

“It’s all right, he won’t hurt you. He’s a police officer too.” Ray came running up to them, rubbing his fist, knuckles red. “We found him, Frase. Around the corner. Bastard still had the gun.”

Taking in the blood on Heather’s face and hands, Ray’s expression was questioning. Fraser jerked his head to indicate the direction and Ray looked over his shoulder. His mouth thinned and eyes narrowed.

“Fuck.” He walked further toward the dumpster. Ray turned to Fraser, “Tell the uniforms to call …” his voiced trailed off as he looked at Fraser and Heather.

“Understood.”

Walking to the patrol car, Dief at their side, Fraser felt Heather’s head tucked into his neck. Fraser could see the man in the back seat. His face was beginning to bruise, his expression belligerent.

Fraser approached the uniformed officer. The man looked barely old enough to shave. He quietly made his request to the officer, who grimly nodded and spoke into his shoulder radio.

Heather sniffed and turned her head. When she spotted the man in the car, she began to squirm and scream.

“He hurt my mommy. He hurt mommy!”

Fraser struggled to keep his arms around the little girl. As he moved out of eyeshot, Heather quieted. Finding nowhere suitable, he sat down on the curb with Heather on his lap facing him. Pulling out his hankerchief, he gently wiped her tears. Dief sat down next to them, laying his muzzle on Heather’s arm.

“Heather, can you tell me what happened?” Quietly.

“He…he took us in the car.”

“From where? The shelter?”

The blonde head bobbed. “Mom-mommy said we would be moving into a place of our own. Now that daddy couldn’t come near us anymore.”

“Your father?”

Her small lips thinned as she looked at Fraser with the knowledge no five year old should ever have. Fraser felt something inside of him twist and tighten.

“Then what happened?”

“We drove. And then we stopped. Mommy and me got out of the car really fast and she told me to run. He-he was running after us and yelling at mommy and then there was a big bang and mommy fell down.” Her stoic little face was belied by the tears running down her cheeks.

“He hurt mommy, didn’t he?” All Fraser could do was nod. “Is she in heaven?”

Fraser closed his eyes, remembering the small piping voice of himself at a similar age asking the same question of his father.

“Yes. Yes she is. God’s looking after her now.”

Heather’s bottom lip quivered and she began to cry. Fraser pulled her tight and held on. When he heard footsteps approaching, he opened his eyes and looked up at Ray. The lines on his Ray’s face appeared deeper, as if the events of the past hour had indelibly left their mark on him. Ray looked down on them and gently ran his hand over the girl’s hair.

“The coroner is on it’s way. We need to call social services and book the bast…the perpetrator. “What’s, uh, going to happen…?” He nodded toward Heather.

Fraser turned to Heather. “Heather, did your mommy have someone who could look after you?”

Heather looked up, “Grandma and Granda J. I’d stay with them sometimes. They gave me cookies.”

And she smiled. Ray knelt down beside them and looked at Heather, “Thanks sweetie. We’ll call them and see if you can stay with them okay?”

“Okay.”

*****

Ray had switched off the radio when he started the car, as if even music was an abomination. Bypassing the consulate, he drove straight to his apartment.

Ray switched on the light in the kitchen and turned to Fraser.

“Shit, Frase. Take the tunic off. You’ve got blood on it. Fuck.”

Fraser looked down and saw, for the first time, the blood at his waist. He began removing his tunic.

Ray opened the cupboard and removed the bowls that had been adopted by Dief as his own since they had started to visit. He filled one with water and after rummaging through his fridge, found some leftover hamburger meat. He sniffed it and handed it out to Fraser.

“Is this all right?”

Fraser looked up from undoing his Sam Browne and nodded. Dropping the meat into the second bowl he ruffled Diefenbaker’s fur. “There you go mutt. Don’t say I never do anything for you.”

He stood up and reached for a glass and the half empty bottle of scotch that sat on the counter. Uncapping the bottle, he filled the glass a third of the way. Ray crossed to the sofa, taking his drink with him, he turned on the lamp and sat down. Removing his tunic to hang over a bar stool, Fraser looked over at Ray, sitting there in the soft light of the lamp, looking down at his drink as though it could give him solace.

Ray lifted the glass and ran it along his forehead, sighed and took a sip, leaning his head on the back of the couch, he closed his eyes. Fraser could see Ray’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed.

The rein Fraser kept on himself when he was around Ray snapped. It was too much. Images of Heather’s unhappy little face passed through his mind as he watched Ray. The want he had for Ray was something he could no longer keep restrained. He wanted Ray and denied himself in equal measure. Enough.

He stalked over to stand in front of Ray. Ray’s knees pressed against his outer thighs. When Ray opened his eyes and looked at Fraser, Fraser took the glass from his hand, taking a sip. The taste of whiskey was unfamiliar to his palate. Closing his eyes, he felt the burn as it flowed down his esophagus to pool in his stomach, warming him. Giving him the courage to take this step.

Opening his eyes, very deliberately keeping eye contact with Ray, he took a sip, and placed the glass on the side table.

Ray quirked a half smile at Fraser, but his eyes were stricken and face pale. Fraser knelt down between Ray’s thighs, hands coming to rest on his legs. The heat of Ray’s skin radiated through the denim as Fraser ran his hands up the length of his Ray’s thighs. Fraser looked down at his hands. The paleness of his skin was highlighted by the dark denim. Ray’s reached for Fraser’s fingers and entwined them with his own. Fraser looked up, startled, but Ray smiled at him. Grasping the henley with his other hand, he dragged Fraser toward him.

Fraser felt the heat as Ray sighed into his mouth and tentatively swiped Ray’s lower lip with his tongue. Ray opened for him and Fraser searched their tongues slicking together.

The kiss, at first languid, as they learnt each other’s taste, became frantic until the awkwardness of the position caused Fraser to pull away.

Panting, he looked up at Ray and raised Ray’s hand turning it over, palm up. He ran his tongue from the base of the palm, slowly up the long middle finger to the tip. Tasted sweat, faint traces of carbon paper, and the M&M’s Ray was rarely without. Keeping eye contact with Ray, Fraser laved the area with his tongue before taking the finger fully into his mouth. His cheeks hollowed as he began to suck.

Ray’s eyes dilated and he moaned. Tugging his finger out of Fraser’s mouth he grabbed the back of Fraser’s head, tangling his fingers in his hair, and dragged him forward to attack his mouth. The sharp tingle of his scalp caused Fraser to moan.

Through their kisses, Ray muttered, “I hate this, fucking hate it.”

Fraser’s murmur was of understanding.

Pulling back and gasping loudly, Ray stood, his groin inches from Fraser’s face. Fraser leaned forward, nuzzling the heavy fabric. His nostrils flared; the scent of Ray’s arousal was intoxicating. Ray dropped his hand to Fraser’s head.

“Yeah. Yeah. But not here.”

Fraser looked up at Ray, his face felt hot and the sound of his breath was loud in the room. Ray smiled down at him and brought both hands to cup his head, Fraser could feel the callouses as Ray rubbed his thumbs across the flush of Fraser’s cheeks.

“C’mon.” Ray held out his hand.

Fraser took his hand and stood, following Ray to the bedroom. They looked at each other in silence. Then began undressing quickly. As Fraser removed his boots and stood them neatly next to each other the end of the bed, he could hear the muffled thuds of Ray’s boots hitting the floor as they were kicked off, Ray’s clothes were crumpled on the floor.

Ray growled, “Hurry.”

Removing his pants, he laid them over the dresser, and stood facing Ray in his boxer shorts. Ray got onto the unmade bed and beckoned to Fraser, “C’mere.”

Fraser moved to the bed, climbing on top of Ray. The first touch of skin-on-skin was exhilarating and Fraser’s heart thudded in his chest. The tactile stimulation, as Ray ran his hand down his back, left Fraser disoriented.

He shook his head. Ray looking looked at him, his normally expressive face still. Watching. In direct contrast to the movement of his hands as they slid under Fraser’s boxers, gripping his buttocks, Ray spread his legs, bringing his knees up to grasp at Fraser’s hips, pushing their groins together.

Fraser’s forehead grew damp and he could not quite stifle his groan. Bending his head, he kissed Ray, threading his hands through Ray’s hair. He tilted his head to deepen the kiss as his hips bucked into Ray.

Fraser suddenly recognised what caused his disorientation. He was home. The realisation stripped Fraser of any restraint. Clenching his fists in Ray’s hair, he bit at Ray’s lips, stringing sharp nips across his jaw. Ray arched beneath him, his ankles hooking around the backs of Fraser’s thighs as he thrust against him.

Fraser ran his tongue down the long line of Ray’s neck, holding his head in place, he gently sunk his teeth into the juncture of shoulder and neck.

Ray dragged his hands up Fraser’s back, fisting into his hair, pulling Fraser up to his mouth.

“More, dammit.” He panted loudly, before forcing his tongue into Fraser’s mouth, matching the rhythm of his hips.

Their arms bumped together as they frantically tried to remove Ray’s underwear. Ray lowered his legs as Fraser tugged at his boxer-briefs, dragging them down Ray’s legs, moving down his body.

Fraser could feel the heat of Ray’s erection as it brushed against his cheek. He moved his head and licked along its length. He tasted the pre-ejaculate at the tip as his hands divested Ray of his underwear.

Ray moaned loudly, head twisting on the pillow as Fraser took the head of his cock into his mouth. Tongue circling the tip. The flavor of Ray was new, but incredibly familiar, as he began to suck.

“Fraser…fuck…oh god,” Ray whispered, panting.

Fraser felt Ray’s hands pulling at his shoulders. Releasing Ray from his mouth, he was pulled up the length of Ray’s body; the sensation of his skin dragging against Ray’s caused his body to hum.

“Later,” Ray moaned into his mouth as he shoved at Fraser’s boxers, hips bucking. Fraser lifted briefly, kicking off his boxers and came down heavily on Ray. All finesse gone.

He grunted as their cocks lined up. Ray braced his feet on the mattress for traction. The soft skin of his inner thighs rubbed against Fraser’s hips.

He needed to get closer to Ray had and Fraser thrust hard. He brought one of Ray’s hands to lie beside his head, tangling their fingers together, gripping tightly.

Palm to palm, a lover’s holy kiss, floated through Fraser’s mind as he brought his other hand to thread through Ray’s hair. Nearly sobbing, he fought the end, uncontrollable, unstoppable.

Ray’s hand on his hip pulled him closer. Fraser felt the orgasm race through him and he groaned his completion, head dropping to bury itself in Ray’s shoulder, the wet heat flooding between them.

Ray arched, thrusting spasmodically, his cry echoing throughout the room as his climax mixed with Fraser’s.

They trembled with the aftershocks, their breath loud in the quietness of the room. Ray’s hand let go of his ass and pushed into his hair, pulling Fraser’s head back. Ray looked at him, face flushed, lips used.

“Are you okay?”

Fraser could only nod. Eyes soft with understanding, Ray smiled. “Next time, don’t use a case as an excuse.”

“I…”, clearing his throat in preparation for an apology.

“It’s okay,” Ray assured him.

Unlinking their hands, Ray brought his other hand to Fraser’s head, long fingers massaging firmly. Fraser licked his lips watching as Ray’s eyes followed the movement.

“Understood.”

Ray brought Fraser’s mouth to his own and kissed him sweetly. Breaking the kiss he pushed at Fraser to roll over. “Sticky,” he said, climbing off the bed. Fraser watched his back as he walked into the bathroom, muscle playing underneath freckled skin.

Ray returned with a warm, damp cloth and wiped them off. Yawning, he dropped the cloth on the floor as he climbed into bed, dragging the covers over them both as he reached for Fraser.

Nestling his face into the hollow of Ray’s collar-bone, Fraser felt himself drift toward sleep. He knew he had to say it, before he let sleep claim him, that it had to be articulated.

“Ray.”

“Yeah, Fraser,” Ray answered sleepily.

“I love you.”

Fraser could hear the smile in Ray’s voice when he answered.

“And I, you.”

Fraser closed his eyes.


End file.
